Butlerville Bulletin
December 2019
Principal's Update
Butlerville Families,
We have had such a wonderful first half of our school year and it’s hard to believe that 2019 is coming to a close. The month of December always reminds me that your children are the biggest reason I enjoy coming to work each day. The joy on their faces this time of year is contagious and it’s so rewarding to be part of helping each student have a positive school experience.
I want to thank each one of you for your role in helping your child be the best he/she can be. You help make Butlerville Primary a wonderful place to learn! I hope you are able to relax and enjoy some well-deserved family time over winter break. I wish you the best this holiday season.
See you in 2020!
Jamie Miles
Principal
Reading at Home
By Ann Marie Klein, Literacy Coach
Word Play
Do you remember playing a game, finding all the words possible from longer words or popular sayings? For example, in the two words, Happy Holidays, you could make: say, sad, sap, sip, lip, hip, lid, pay, pays, lay, hay, day, say, hid, had, spy, sly, shy, ship, daily, sloppy
Making words through word play has educational benefits. When playing word games, children learn important information about phonics and spelling. As children manipulate the letters to make the words, they learn how small changes, such as replacing one letter with another, or moving the letters around results in completely new words. Children learn to look for patterns, or to make words longer by adding a prefix or suffix. They learn how to stretch out words and listen for the sounds they hear and the order of those sounds. Children also learn by playing against others. They see and hear patterns for words they may not already know.
These ideas seem obvious to those of us who have been reading and writing for almost as long as we can remember. But they are a revelation to beginners, giving them independence and helping them become creative learners.
Specials' Spot: STEM
Welcome to STEM!
My name is Angie Hoffman and I am very excited to be instructing the STEM special at Butlerville this year. STEM incorporates Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math through team projects. The projects teach students real life problem solving skills and promotes cooperation and teamwork
Students follow the engineer design process: Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve, and Communicate. They work in teams and each student has a job (T=Table Manager, E = Engineer, A = Architect, M = Materials Manager). Each team has a notebook to record and manage the projects throughout the year.
The second graders have designed parachutes and paper planes. They will be designing pulleys in the New Year. The first graders have been building towers out of toothpicks, marshmallows, index cards, and pipe cleaners. They designed a marble maze out of paper plates and paper. They will complete a marble maze box challenge in the New Year. If you have any small boxes or shoe boxes feel free to send them in!
Students have been coding using ozobots. They use color codes to program the bots to perform functions and execute commands. They are able to get the bot to go different speeds and directions.
Grades are based on participation, cooperation, teamwork, and evaluation of projects. Students will receive an S = Satisfactory, O = Outstanding, and N = Needs improvement. If your child is not performing at a passing score you will be notified either by email or phone call.
Have a great break!
Notes from the Nurse
Wendy Gordon, Butlerville Nurse
· Get the flu shot, not the flu. It’s not too late to get a flu shot. Wishing everyone a healthy winter season!
· As a reminder over the holidays, it’s time to check the batteries of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
· The Wellness No Prob-Llama wants to remind kiddos to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day for health.
Counselor's Corner
I hope you have a safe and restful winter break!
Long breaks can be a wonderful time for our children, but can also make it difficult returning to school after break. Here are some helpful tips to make the transition back to school in January a little easier!
- Begin talking about school and the routine of school a few days before we return. Helping our children remember their schedule and how the school day goes helps them feel in control.
- Transition back to a set bedtime a few days before break ends so the night before is not a fight to go to bed.
- Give yourselves a little extra time in the morning on the first day back to help the morning go smoother.
- If you have any questions, or if your child is having a difficult time transitioning back to school, please feel free to reach out to me and connect with your child's teacher. My contact information is below.
A few more tips to remember:
- Our children may become over stimulated from all of the activities that are planned and may need some down time. Remember, behavior is communication and sometimes challenging behaviors during the holidays mean they need a break.
- Help your child know what is coming next by explaining your plans for the day. Traveling and visiting family and friends can be overwhelming, so giving them a plan is helpful.
- Do not forget to take time to slow down and enjoy your children. Play with them. Talk with them. They are only little for a moment.
I hope you have a wonderful break! See you in the New Year!
Brittany Stultz, School Counselor
513-899-5200 ext. 45427
Speech and Language Tips
Holidays are coming quickly! Here are some simple ways to integrate speech and language skills into your everyday routine this holiday season.
Language: When making cookies or other snacks this holiday season, describe the steps to make the cookies and then ask your child to repeat them after you! This skill of sequencing is great for kiddos, even if it isn’t a goal for them in speech. Also, have them describe the treats to you with five different words such as squishy, large, gooey, chocolatey and so much more. Get creative (and silly!) to help expand their language!
Social Language: Holidays this year involve lots of traditions. Discuss with your child what is expected at your home this holiday season and what is unexpected. An example could be that you expect that Santa will come on Christmas morning but an unexpected behavior would be that the Easter Bunny would show up! Make it as silly as you can!
Articulation: When decorating the house this time of year, every time you hang an ornament have your child say a word with their speech sound in it! It can be the same word or even a made up one to make it fun. Also, if you have a child who works on speech sounds be on the lookout for a giant packet coming home to you! This is just for extra practice to use.
Happy Holidays! Kara Detty, The Speech-Language Pathologist
Fine Motor Skill Practice
Mrs. Houchins and Mrs. Ellis from Occupational Therapy
The holidays are quickly approaching, and your child will be off school for winter break. This is a great time for your child to practice their fine motor skills. Here are some links to some fun holiday crafts and activities:
https://www.theottoolbox.com/christmas-fine-motor-activities/
https://www.messforless.net/christmas-fine-motor-skills-activities/
https://thelettersofliteracy.com/20-fun-christmas-fine-motor-activities/
https://lalymom.com/fine-motor-christmas-art-projects-fine-motor-fridays/
https://handsonaswegrow.com/hanukkah-crafts-kids/
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/kids-crafts-to-celebrate-hanukkah-4117938
https://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/kwanzaa/
https://funfamilycrafts.com/category/seasonal-holiday/holidays/kwanzaa/
https://buggyandbuddy.com/15-new-years-eve-crafts-activities-kids/
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/new-years-eve-party-kids-crafts-4119812
https://www.messforless.net/new-years-eve-kids-activities/
Also, here are some fun holiday yoga poses you can practice with your child:
Sleigh Pose: Sit tall with your back straight and your legs out in front of you. Place your hands at your side like you are holding on to the sleigh. Rock back and forth like you are riding on a flying sleigh!
Elf Walk: Start by standing next to the wall. Move to a tall kneeling position. Try to bring your feet towards your bottom (use your hand on the wall for balance). Try to walk on your knees using the wall for balance. If this is difficult try walking on tall knees.
Reindeer Pose: Warrior Pose – Raise your arms up in front of you like you have antlers.
Gross Motor Activities
Fun Holiday activities for your child to try over the holidays:
- Have a snowball fight – make “snowballs” out of wadded paper and toss to a partner trying to catch them or toss into a basket. Used wrapping paper can make a great snowball.
- Make snow angels – lying on the floor pretend to make snow angels. Or pretend to go sledding by sitting on the floor and bumping or leaning like you are going down a hill.
- Play “motor memory” – take turns coming up with an action such as stomp, march, jump…and each person adds another action while trying to remember and complete the actions that came before.
- Use online resources to get some movement – websites such as GoNoodle (www.gonoodle.com) or Cosmic Kids (www.cosmickids.com) offer fun songs and stories that incorporate movement and dance.
I hope everyone enjoys some time off with friends and families.
Diana Batsch – Physical Therapy
Upcoming Dates
December 20 - January 5: No School (Winter Break)
January 9: PTO Meeting (4:45pm)
January 10: Report Cards Go Home
January 15: PTO Earth Dome Assembly
January 20: No School (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
January 27: Delayed Start
January 28: Board of Education Meeting (7:00pm)
February 13: PTO Meeting (4:45pm)
February 14: Valentine's Day Parties
February 17: No School (Presidents' Day)
February 24: Delayed Start
February 27: Conferences (4:15pm-7:45pm)
Contact Us
Email: jmiles@lmsdoh.org
Website: www.littlemiamischools.com
Location: 8276 State Route 132, Blanchester, OH, USA
Phone: 5138995200
Twitter: @LM_MrsMiles